Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-16
California Wine.
F. Pohndorff in Bonforts Wine aud Spirit
Circular.

Circular.
From transplanted French varieties
that are now prospering on tine Pacific
slope, California is now producing sew.
eral varieties of type of wine of rich
vinous character that makes them wor.
thy rivals of their progenitors. Some
of these are enumerated in Wetmore's s
Autobiography.
Portals (San JOSEF Ploussard is, when
matured, a full-bodied analogy to the
common imported wines that 60 under
the generic name of Bergundy.
The blends (some of which are really
creditable) OF heavy body and deep
tint, that are known as California Bur-
gundy, will soon give way to more
legitimate types, similar in character to
the real French wines and coming from
the same parent stocks
We can only hope that our California
production may compete with the ordi.
nary European article. When it comes
to matching perfect Burgundies of the
grand cruS, we must leave the task to
be performed by our grandchildren
in some locality yet to be discovered.
We shall deserve credit for hav.
ing made beginning. The writer is
handling wine made from Crabbs
Black Burgundy supposed to be the
Pineau Noir of the Charentes) that is
gaining much favor among French fami-
lies in New Orleans and among connois.
seurs in Washington. Thousands of
acres have been planted with Crabb's
Burgundy and the bearing qualities
of the vine, added to the quality of
the wine, promise to make it a great
favorite and demonstrate the wisdom
of it's propagation. An addition of
about one.third of water improves the
drinking quality Of this wine.
The trials of new varieties, in which
the writer has taken an active part dur
ing the past few years at the University
of California and at State Conventions,
have been quite incomplete and have
admitted of little more than conjecture
as to probable results. The Grossblanc,
of Swiss origin, and the color wine from
the Barbora grape, and others capable
of attaining high saccharine degree by
long ripening may be found useful in
blends of the Burgundy type. The
Trousseau grape in proper locations may
also be utilized in this way. Of the
value of the Tannat in this connection
there can be no doubt.
Wines of the Roussillon type will be.
fore very long be supplauted by Califor-
mia growths of similar character, and
growers in Eastern and Southeastern
States will find welcome aid in these
wines. California vineyardists will also
find these a great assistance to their
low grade wines from the large pro.
ducers. The hot valleys of the Sacra.
mento and San Joaquin will produce
these heavy qualities 10 great abund-
ance. The same may be said of the
Fresno region, where during the past
two or three years, much has been done
by progressive planters.
Carignan and Grenache grapes will in
certain localities produce these types.
Santa Clara county showed the best of
them at the last San Francisco conven.
ton, although she had met with little
success in this direction in previous
years.
The Bousceets are said to be capital
producers of deep-tinted wines, and in
combination with grades like the Berlan,
Grossblanc, Tannat, Cinsant, Mondeuse,
Mataro, Lenoir and Meunier may even
produce wines of good quality. But
this will require much experimenting.
Some Portuguese varieties have also
shown good promise. 1t may be said
that varieties proper for the production
of the Southern France type of wine
are doing well. Teinturiers are also
considered of great value, but they al e
used onlytfor tinting blends.
As time goes on, nicer distinctions will
be made in quality and different locali-
ties in the State will obtain credit ausl
reputation that properly belong to them.
The present and future vintages will
supply larger number of varieties for
experiment and research. The import
ance of the study of the fit.
ness of each variety for its locality can
not be over estimated.
In making wines of the Bordeaux
type, nothing will succeed but gratis
from Gironde vineyards. We know that
we now have wines that could not have
been dreamed of in California six years
ago. We have competent witnesses to
prove that from one Cabernet, without
addition Of Malbec or any other grape,
we can produce . wine that puzzles a
French connoisseur and transports his
imagination to the banks of the Garonne.
We cannot expect to compete with the
grand growths of France, but we may
look forward with confidence TO wine
that will bring a good price and stand
up in our markets with the ordinary pro-
ductions of the Gironde.